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Donna Karan by Donna Karan

Women 1992

Perfumer
IFF

Description

Donna Karan by Donna Karan is a floral fragrance for women launched in 1992, created by IFF. Its olfactory pyramid unfolds with top notes of osmanthus, orange blossom, honeysuckle, pineapple, peach, bergamot and green accents; a heart composed of ylang-ylang, carnation, heliotrope, lily of the valley, orchid, jasmine, rose and cassia; and a base of suede, incense, amber, benzoin, tonka…

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Quick summary

When to wear it (votes)

  • Winter 42%
  • Spring 11%
  • Summer 9.3%
  • Autumn 37%
  • Day 34%
  • Night 66%

Key notes

Community

273 votes

  • Positive 83%
  • Negative 15%
  • Neutral 2.6%
positive reviews 273 community votes
LongevityLong-lasting SillageModerate Best momentNight CharacterFeminine

The olfactory pyramid

A guide to the opening, heart and lasting trail of the fragrance.

The community speaks

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In the collection

Leading answer I own it

883 votes

Season

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Leading answer Winter

161 votes

Time of day

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Leading answer Night

114 votes

Each question has its own vote count. You can choose several seasons.

Fragrance profile

About Donna Karan

Main accord amber Year 1992 Gender Women Perfumer IFF

Donna Karan by Donna Karan is a floral fragrance for women launched in 1992, created by IFF. Its olfactory pyramid unfolds with top notes of osmanthus, orange blossom, honeysuckle, pineapple, peach, bergamot and green accents; a heart composed of ylang-ylang, carnation, heliotrope, lily of the valley, orchid, jasmine, rose and cassia; and a base of suede, incense, amber, benzoin, tonka bean, sandalwood, musk, patchouli, vanilla, vetiver, cedar and citrus.

Flowers White flowers Fruits, vegetables and nuts Green, herbal and fougère Musk, amber and animalic Woods and mosses Resins and balsams Spices

How it wears

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Longevity

Leading answer Long-lasting

83 votes

Sillage

Leading answer Moderate

100 votes

Character

Leading answer Traditionally feminine

40 votes

Value perception

Leading answer Fair price

30 votes

Community reviews

1 review

Share what you noticed: opening, drydown, sillage and the moments when it works for you.

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  1. I remember walking into an old perfumery filled with boxes of used and discontinued testers; among those bottles, this one caught my eye not for its beauty (it lacks the elegant Lalique design) but for its strange, futuristic style. At first glance, it could easily be the perfume Charlize Theron wore in Mad Max. A pleasant surprise to discover it’s Donna Karan EdP, the brand’s first fragrance for women. It opens with a sweet, oily, dirty, narcotic leather note (for a moment, it faintly reminds me of Tabac Blond), those smoky leathers. But that memory is just for the opening; afterwards, the scent takes another direction. Beneath the leather, fruity tones emerge: pineapple and peach with vanilla hints burst onto the scene, the leather remains but is totally influenced by this. The incense sharpens the presence of amber, tonka bean, and resins (benzoin). This floral becomes too transgressive to stay within that category. The fruitiness rises further as the fragrance evolves, while patchouli and sandalwood twinkle timidly behind the leather. Musk lingers throughout the entire life of the scent. It’s hard to categorise the aroma; what is certain is that few like this from the 90s exist, a difficult leather/fruit/wood combo to find and wear. This Donna Karan is very controversial; sometimes I love it, other times it seems too transgressive, but I always return. Once the fragrance reaches its final stage, a sexy, sweet amber scent remains.